The Sweet Spot

We often seek a quick fix when we don’t like what’s going with our physical appearance. We crave that new diet plan or supplement that promises to help us “lose 10 pounds in 2 weeks” or “improve exercise performance” or “lose belly fat fast!” No matter how much we know that these promises are impossible there is still a part of us that hopes, just maybe, it might work. In our desperation, we cave in and give it a try.

This is why there are so many “diets” - Atkins, South Beach, Vegan, Paleo, Whole 30…I could go on and on…and on. We grasp for anything that might make the difference. We convince ourselves that we are gluten intolerant (and yes, I get that this is real for some people) or highly carb sensitive. Those things may be true…but only for a very small percentage of the people.

Here’s the truth - the outside is a direct reflection of what’s going on on the inside. And another truth: the inside is a bit complicated, especially as we age. We have stress as a factor, sleep or lack thereof, hormones, anxiety and many other variables going on that impact our outer body.

This can be a hard truth to swallow because it’s not always an easy fix. We can’t just take a pill or drink that will help us get to where we want to be. To address what’s going on inside of us, we have to take an inventory and really get honest with ourselves about what we need to change in our lives to get ourselves where we would ideally like to be…or as I like to say, our “sweet spot.” You know the one - where your jeans fit perfect, no muffin topping, you feel good, energy’s good, you’re getting rest, exercising and eating well and enjoying life all the while. It’s hard wor to get there and almost impossible to stay there.

I would be so bold as to say it IS impossible to stay there. Our lives are constantly changing and our bodies are constantly changing which means we have to be ever adapting in our approach to stay in our sweet spot. We can get there and then a life situation comes up that throws us off track and we find ourselves again struggling to get back to our sweet spot.

I have learned that when I’m doing a good job of managing my stress and anxiety in a healthy way, I generally look and feel my best. This includes getting plenty of sleep and making time to take care of myself. Over the last couple of years I have also noticed that my hormones play a big role in what my body looks like and how my body responds to food and exercise. When I find that I’m not in my “sweet spot” I also find that my life is out of balance in some way. I bet that if you are in a place where you’re not the weight or size you’d like to be, you may find that some aspect of your life is out of balance.

I know, this is the hard work. But it’s the WORTHWHILE work because it is what lasts. We must continuously seek to take care of ourselves, not just our bodies so we look good, but also our souls so we FEEL good.

Take an inventory of your life right now and see where you may be out of balance:

Is there a stressful situation you’re dealing with, a traumatic event that has happened, a new job or project that is causing you to work more than you should? Are you dealing with family/parenting issues that are causing stress? Are you not sleeping as much as you should? Are you drinking too much coffee/alcohol?

Have you let your workouts slide? Are you working out too much, putting undue stress on your body?

Stress, anxiety, depression, not enough sleep, not getting time to take care of YOU…these are all things that can throw you out of your sweet spot in a hot minute. And it usually happens slowly and we don’t recognize it.

Take a look at what inner turmoil you may be dealing with and take the necessary steps to address it. If you don’t, it won’t matter what you do to change the outside of your body: it won’t work. When you get the inside right and bring yourself back into balance the outside will follow suit. We tend to neglect our own self-care because there are so many other people in our lives that “need” us, but taking care of you first is the most important thing you can do for those people who need you.